


All the other places

by contradiction



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M, Niall is just fucked up man, Zayn is a prick, but arent we all???, in my headcannon niall is secretly a really deep person
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-07
Updated: 2015-03-01
Packaged: 2018-03-10 22:54:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3306401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/contradiction/pseuds/contradiction
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Impressionist fic of the undoing of a relationship. </p><p>Also shameless Bukowski references because i love him so.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Sand

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys so this is basically the start of a fic I've been working on (still) so tell me what you think! and thank you so much for reading :) i love u allllllll

_‘’I am trying to learn and I’m dying to know_

_When to move on and when to let it go ‘’_  

* * *

 

In the darkness of the night he hears Zayn’s frustrated sigh “ you know I - I didn't mean it - its the last time i swear ” .

Niall hums in response, digs his toes deeper into the wet sand. It’s wet and cold and weirdly comforting in a way he never imagined it to be.

“Its funny though isn't it ?’’ Niall laughs brokenly as he looks out at the distant lighthouse on the horizon, thinks if he concentrates hard enough maybe he could make himself disappear into nothingness. He wonders fleetingly if Zayn would care enough to find him. There’s a beat of silence save for the crashing of waves as they both look out into the vast darkness that stretches endlessly before them.

“What is?” Zayn’s response is soft and low as if to prevent from breaking the quiet but Niall knows Zayn. Or knew him at least. Recognizes the forced nonchalance and the desperate unspoken pleading of _please don't say it please don't say it_ . Niall chooses to ignore him, focuses instead on curling his toes inward and forcing them deeper into the sand before the current sweeps in and washes his feet clean again.

“How you told me to fuck the world ’’ The tide washes up then and Niall feels the water pooling up at his feet before slowly receding, leaving his toes feeling bare and cold soso cold. He is suddenly, inexplicably reminded of cigarette stained laughter that tasted like cadmium yellow when they’d first kissed- all bright and buoyant and _true and_ _oh- he finally gets it_. He takes a deep breath and feels something within him break.

"When you were the one doing all the fucking"

* * *

 


	2. Glass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How they meet 
> 
> “ You hate people or something?” Theres a sudden chuckle as Zayn runs his hands through his hair. “ ‘M sorry that was rude. Just not used to people ignoring me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My whole idea for this fic is to depict their relationship through specific moments rather than describe the whole process?? if that makes sense?? If its confusing/feels incomplete/ sucks do let me know so I can improve on it :)) thank you again for reading/sticking with this fic iloveyouiloveyouiloveyou

_When the futures so unsure_

_When the futures so unclear_

* * *

 

_Its cold out at the gas station. Niall wraps his oversized jumper closer to his chest and watches his breath rise out in quick white puffs, wishes he had remembered his scarf. There’s a sudden pricking in his eyes and standing alone in that gas station at 3 am, he suddenly wishes he had remembered to do a lot of things._  

_“Cut it out Zayn’ Niall hears high pitched laughter and glass bottles breaking on the floor. The new arrivals are black moving shadows from where he’s standing, stark against the bright white of the fluorescent lights and Niall stares and stares till his eyes burn and he has to look away. He’s suddenly reminded of the time when his parents brought him to the zoo when he was 10 and he’d spent all his time crying, hating how sad the animals had looked. They’d left early and shortly after his parents had separated. He wonders idly if it'd been his fault. If all of it had been his fault._

_“ Hey ‘M Zayn‘’. The glass door to the minimart bangs close behind him. One of the black shapes is right in front of him now and Niall registers honey golden eyes staring at him and he thinks of how different they are from his mothers’ dull blue ones that stare right through. This reminder sends a start through him. He doesn't respond( can't ) , chooses to focus instead on clenching the gas pump tighter and willing his fingers to stop freezing._

_He feels Zayn shift next to him. There’s silence save for the distant shouts in the background and not for the first time, Niall finds himself wanting to disappear._

  _“You hate people or something?” Theres a sudden chuckle as Zayn runs his hands through his hair. “ ‘M sorry that was rude. Just not used to people ignoring me.”_

_Niall rolls his eyes, sucks in a breath. “ I don’t hate people. I just feel better when they're not around.”_

_To his chagrin, Zayn smiles at that, teeth glinting in the flickering light._

_"Being alone never felt right. sometimes it felt good, but it never felt right.”_

_Niall can’t help the smile that worms its way onto his face. He tries not to think about how foreign it feels. He looks at Zayn then._  

_“Are you fucking trying to pick me up with fucking Bokowski?”_

_“Is it working?”_

  _The dimple on Zayn’s cheek deepens as Niall looks away towards the townhouses in the distance,whispers, “Maybe ”_

 

 

 

 


End file.
